diff --git a/bundles/org.openhab.core/src/main/java/org/eclipse/smarthome/core/internal/types/StateDescriptionFragmentImpl.java b/bundles/org.openhab.core/src/main/java/org/eclipse/smarthome/core/internal/types/StateDescriptionFragmentImpl.java
index e6f4a27617c..5fa1e9c5104 100644
--- a/bundles/org.openhab.core/src/main/java/org/eclipse/smarthome/core/internal/types/StateDescriptionFragmentImpl.java
+++ b/bundles/org.openhab.core/src/main/java/org/eclipse/smarthome/core/internal/types/StateDescriptionFragmentImpl.java
@@ -187,7 +187,7 @@ public StateDescriptionFragment merge(StateDescriptionFragment fragment) {
         if (this.readOnly == null) {
             this.readOnly = fragment.isReadOnly();
         }
-        if (this.options == null) {
+        if (this.options == null || this.options.isEmpty()) {
             this.options = fragment.getOptions();
         }
 
diff --git a/itests/org.openhab.core.tests/src/main/java/org/eclipse/smarthome/core/internal/types/StateDescriptionFragmentImplTest.java b/bundles/org.openhab.core/src/test/java/org/eclipse/smarthome/core/internal/types/StateDescriptionFragmentImplTest.java
similarity index 72%
rename from itests/org.openhab.core.tests/src/main/java/org/eclipse/smarthome/core/internal/types/StateDescriptionFragmentImplTest.java
rename to bundles/org.openhab.core/src/test/java/org/eclipse/smarthome/core/internal/types/StateDescriptionFragmentImplTest.java
index 508eaa160c4..9d8d9133b4d 100644
--- a/itests/org.openhab.core.tests/src/main/java/org/eclipse/smarthome/core/internal/types/StateDescriptionFragmentImplTest.java
+++ b/bundles/org.openhab.core/src/test/java/org/eclipse/smarthome/core/internal/types/StateDescriptionFragmentImplTest.java
@@ -12,14 +12,15 @@
  */
 package org.eclipse.smarthome.core.internal.types;
 
-import static org.hamcrest.CoreMatchers.is;
+import static org.hamcrest.CoreMatchers.*;
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertThat;
 
 import java.math.BigDecimal;
-import java.util.ArrayList;
+import java.util.Collections;
 
 import org.eclipse.smarthome.core.types.StateDescription;
 import org.eclipse.smarthome.core.types.StateDescriptionFragment;
+import org.eclipse.smarthome.core.types.StateOption;
 import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
@@ -27,7 +28,6 @@
  * Test the {@link StateDescriptionFragmentImpl}.
  *
  * @author Henning Treu - Initial contribution
- *
  */
 public class StateDescriptionFragmentImplTest {
 
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ public void setup() {
         source.setStep(BigDecimal.ONE);
         source.setPattern("pattern");
         source.setReadOnly(Boolean.TRUE);
-        source.setOptions(new ArrayList<>(0));
+        source.setOptions(Collections.emptyList());
     }
 
     @Test
@@ -54,6 +54,21 @@ public void mergeFragment() {
         assertThat(fragment.getPattern(), is(source.getPattern()));
         assertThat(fragment.isReadOnly(), is(source.isReadOnly()));
         assertThat(fragment.getOptions(), is(source.getOptions()));
+
+        // fragment with empty options should inherit new options
+        StateDescriptionFragmentImpl sourceWithOptions = new StateDescriptionFragmentImpl();
+        sourceWithOptions.setOptions(Collections.singletonList(new StateOption("value1", "label1")));
+
+        fragment = source.merge(sourceWithOptions);
+
+        assertThat(fragment.getOptions(), is(sourceWithOptions.getOptions()));
+
+        // fragment with options should NOT inherit new options
+        sourceWithOptions.setOptions(Collections.singletonList(new StateOption("value2", "label2")));
+
+        fragment = source.merge(sourceWithOptions);
+
+        assertThat(fragment.getOptions(), is(not(sourceWithOptions.getOptions())));
     }
 
     @Test
diff --git a/bundles/org.openhab.core/src/test/java/org/eclipse/smarthome/core/types/StateDescriptionFragmentBuilderTest.java b/bundles/org.openhab.core/src/test/java/org/eclipse/smarthome/core/types/StateDescriptionFragmentBuilderTest.java
index 2e44f241260..1360f48ed5e 100644
--- a/bundles/org.openhab.core/src/test/java/org/eclipse/smarthome/core/types/StateDescriptionFragmentBuilderTest.java
+++ b/bundles/org.openhab.core/src/test/java/org/eclipse/smarthome/core/types/StateDescriptionFragmentBuilderTest.java
@@ -16,11 +16,9 @@
 import static org.junit.Assert.assertThat;
 
 import java.math.BigDecimal;
-import java.util.ArrayList;
-import java.util.Arrays;
+import java.util.Collections;
 import java.util.List;
 
-import org.eclipse.jdt.annotation.NonNull;
 import org.junit.Before;
 import org.junit.Test;
 
@@ -64,15 +62,21 @@ public void builderWithReadOnly() {
     }
 
     @Test
-    public void builderWithIOptions() {
-        List<@NonNull StateOption> options = new ArrayList<>(0);
+    public void builderWithEmptyOptions() {
+        List<StateOption> options = Collections.emptyList();
+        assertThat(builder.withOptions(options).build().getOptions(), is(options));
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void builderWithOptions() {
+        List<StateOption> options = Collections.singletonList(new StateOption("value", "label"));
         assertThat(builder.withOptions(options).build().getOptions(), is(options));
     }
 
     @Test
     public void builderWithStateDescription() {
         StateDescription source = new StateDescription(BigDecimal.ZERO, BigDecimal.TEN, BigDecimal.ONE, "pattern", true,
-                Arrays.asList(new StateOption[] { new StateOption("value", "label") }));
+                Collections.singletonList(new StateOption("value", "label")));
         StateDescriptionFragment fragment = StateDescriptionFragmentBuilder.create(source).build();
 
         assertThat(fragment.getMinimum(), is(source.getMinimum()));
@@ -86,13 +90,18 @@ public void builderWithStateDescription() {
     @Test
     public void subsequentBuildsCreateIndependentFragments() {
         StateDescriptionFragment fragment1 = builder.withMinimum(BigDecimal.ZERO).withMaximum(BigDecimal.TEN)
-                .withPattern("pattern").build();
+                .withStep(BigDecimal.ONE).withPattern("pattern").withReadOnly(Boolean.FALSE)
+                .withOptions(Collections.singletonList(new StateOption("value", "label"))).build();
         StateDescriptionFragment fragment2 = builder.withMinimum(BigDecimal.ONE).withMaximum(BigDecimal.ONE)
-                .withPattern("pattern_new").build();
+                .withStep(BigDecimal.ZERO).withPattern("pattern_new").withReadOnly(Boolean.TRUE)
+                .withOptions(Collections.emptyList()).build();
 
         assertThat(fragment1.getMinimum(), is(not(fragment2.getMinimum())));
         assertThat(fragment1.getMaximum(), is(not(fragment2.getMaximum())));
+        assertThat(fragment1.getStep(), is(not(fragment2.getStep())));
         assertThat(fragment1.getPattern(), is(not(fragment2.getPattern())));
+        assertThat(fragment1.isReadOnly(), is(not(fragment2.isReadOnly())));
+        assertThat(fragment1.getOptions().size(), is(not(fragment2.getOptions().size())));
     }
 
 }